The Rangers are still alive. But they sure as hell wouldn't have gotten to Game 5, let alone the finals, if not for two quiet contributors who, if there's any justice or sense in this world, will cash in this summer.

Because hockey people have the attention spans of goldfish, some have pronounced Drew Doughty the best player in the world. That he's the third or fourth to receive the honor since the playoffs started should tell you how much weight that carries.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have officially ended their 21-day general manager search, naming Jim Rutherford as the man in charge of fixing a team as talented as it is poorly constructed. The old boys' network strikes again.

The Rangers and Kings are in the Stanley Cup Final because of depth, since this is not basketball, where a small number of very good or great individual players can drag a team to postseason success. You need top-flight players to win championships in hockey, obviously, but just as necessary are lower-level players…

It wasn't so long ago that the Rangers were staring down death, rather than refusing to touch a trophy. Through three-quarters of the postseason, even after getting by the Canadiens with relative ease, they've had to play four elimination games: one against the Flyers, and three in a row against Pittsburgh. No one…

The difference between an elite goaltender and an outright bad one really isn't that huge. The best goalie in the league is probably going to give you .925, maybe .930 over the course of a season. The worst regular starter is probably going to sit around .900 or .905. That's two or three extra saves on every 100…

Changes are coming in Pittsburgh but they're not going to be the right ones. After the Penguins punted a 3-1 series lead and home Game 7 to the Rangers, you can bet any amount of money you like that coach Dan Bylsma will be fired. Only because it's easier to fire a coach than it is to find six decent forwards.

Nothing happens quickly in the NHL. Fighting still exists. Visors were only mandated for incoming players last year. But the league is reportedly preparing to test player-tracking technology, and if it takes, we're not far away from a complete and sudden revolution in how we understand the sport.

When the Minnesota Wild made the only real splash in team history by signing the top two free agents of the Class of 2012, people thought it would usher in a change for the troubled franchise. They were right. Instead of just missing the postseason, the Wild are primed to bow out early in the playoffs for years to…

This was a game the Canadiens 100 percent needed to win, so of course they handed major and crucial minutes to the league's single worst defenseman—all in the pursuit of toughness, naturally—and watched as he gave the game away.

When Sidney Crosby scored early in the second period last night, his reaction was noteworthy. Here was the best player in the world celebrating a breakaway goal like someone who hadn't done this in the playoffs 40 previous times.

The San Jose Sharks, already widely considered the chokingest team in hockey history, bolstered their reputation on Wednesday night. Now they've got a big decision: soldier on with the same pieces, or blow the whole thing up. Hopefully they keep in mind the fact that no one ever got better by blowing up a great team.

The standing ovation the Flyers received at the end of last night's first period was not entirely deserved. Through 20 minutes they'd been pretty well pushed around, getting outpossessed at even strength to the tune of 18 shot attempts to just 11 (37.9 percent). That, in hockey, doesn't sound like much, but it's…

Let's mince no words here in saying that Sidney Crosby, the greatest active hockey player in the universe, is the reason that the Pittsburgh Penguins are not currently playing their home games in Kansas City. He is beloved in his adopted hometown, but when you're as good as he is, love only gets you so far. Ahead of…